Help for our sister and community healer

A couple of weeks ago, Tristen was admitted into the ER following intense abdominal pain, excessive fatigue, weakness, and extreme emotional swings. Upon arriving to the ER, it was determined that she was very anemic and required a blood transfusion to get her iron levels to a safe range. She had an ultrasound to find the cause of her anemia and they identified a very large fibroma as well as A LOT (as in too many to count) of other small fibromas growing off of her uterus. While fibromas are non-cancerous masses, they obviously have the ability to wreak a lot of havoc on the whole body. The only way to treat a fibroma is to have it surgically removed, but right now, Tristen is still too anemic for surgery. She is on medication to get her iron levels high enough so that she can safely go undergo the procedure, but this will take some time. Anemia leaves the body oxygen depleted, which causes lightheadedness, chest pain, and short of breath even after a mild amount of physical activity, making it unsafe for her to work in her profession.

Because of this, Tristen has been unable to work for two weeks and will not be able to return to her job as a bodyworker until approximately four weeks after surgery. It is likely that she will be off work for a total of two months, and she needs our support. This fund will cover her rent, bills, groceries, transportation to and from doctor’s appointments, and, hopefully, some of her medical bills.

Tristen is beyond grateful for anything you can offer. Every little bit helps. If you are unable to donate, text messages, phone calls, and visits are much appreciated (a bitch is bored!). Chicago queer community is known for stepping up when we need to. Tristen is a sister, auntie, and friend to so many of us. Let’s take care of her when she needs us.